Illuminating-shell



A. G. BERGMAN.

ILLUMINATING SHELL, APPLICATION FILED IAN. Io. 191s.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

ngi

WITNESS INVENTOR By orneys,

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE. i

lAxial. G. BEEGMAN, oEfNEW YoaK, N. Y., Ass'IGNoE ro OEDNANCE vENGINEERING conromrioN, or NEW Yoax, N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

ILLUMINATING-SHELL.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented canastas-i9.

- Application filed January 10,1918. Serial No. 211,141. f

To all ehom #may concern Be it known that I, AXEL G. BERGMAN, a

subject of the King of Sweden, residing in the lborough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminating-Shells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to illuminating .shells and is in the .natureof an improveapplied embodies a projectile device that is discharged from a mortar or other suitable apparatus and remains suspended in the air,

more or less at one point, while burning for a predetermined period either for giving a signal or disclosing the ground outline under the lighted area, and a further object of the invention is to afford instrumentalities that will permit supportingl the illuminating charge from a parachute structure and also eliminate likelihood of breaking or damaging the parachute while it is unfolding, and immediately after the shell is discharged, at which time itis traveling at a high rate of speed with a resulting tendency to rupture the parachute.

An additional purpose of the invention is to preclude the premature ignition of the illuminating charge, and Ainsure the delaying 0f such ignition until after the illuminating charge leaves its container or shell.

Another purpose of the invention is to regulate the control of the time fuse, which determines the period that precedes ignition of the illuminating charge, so that the predetermined time, after which the illuminating charge comes into play, can -be adjusted with considerable accuracy, and to accomplish this by protecting the fuse against an excessive pressure at the moment of discharging the shell from the mortar.

Still 'an additional uiiose of the present improvement is to aor a more effective illuminating composition by increasing the vpossible candle power per second, and further, to provide a more intimate relationship between the illuminating compound and the ignitlng element and thus obtain practically instantaneous ignition of the entire illumiiiating surface. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain other improvements and combinations of parts as. will be .hereinafter more fully described and particularly 1pointed out in the claims following the speci cation.

In the drawings,-

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention; j

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in a horizontal plane, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

M y invention consists generall of an outer jacket or shell having a fixe closureI at one end which is preferably in the forni of asheet metal stamping, containing a fuse and fuse-holding tube. The acket contains a carrier that is attached to a parachute, and

holds the illuminating charge, and the connection between the carrier and the parachute is such as to permit the latter to respond gradually to the movement of the carrier. The carrier, with the parachute' attached, is adapted to be ejected from the jacket or shell by an expelling charge which is located on the inner surface of the closure referred to, while the outer surface of said closure serves as a housin@r for a time fuse which communicates with the expelling charge. Movably-secured to the outer face of the closure is a shield member that is adjustable over the fuse and protects the lat- ,ter lat the point of ignition against the full force of the discharging pressure, as the shell is thrown from the mortar.

It is to be understood thatl the'ditl'erent features of my improvement are susceptible of various ractical adaptations, and in its preferred orm the structure includes an outer shell or jacket A within which is contained the carrier B that serves as a housing or holder for the illuminating charge Disposed at one end of the jacket A is a closure which is fixed to the jacket and des,- ignated generally by D. The closure D is preferably formed of sheet metal by a suitable staniping operation and includes circular corrugations E and F affording an inmy previous applicatlon already referred to,

and is of a slow burnin character, so that the point of lignition of the fuse, which is determined by puncturing the ysurrounding tube at any selected point, controls the vtime that is required to ignite the expelling charge G. The fuse H communicates with vthe :expelling charge G through .an opening:

formed inthe side wall of the corrugation E ofthe closure. By thus arranging the expelling charge and the fuse in opposite surfaces of the `tremely economical arrangement which is comparatively simple to manufacture and also affords 'an efficient operation.

pending upon the i to the other, as shown and the edges of whereits containing tube It is quite "desirable to prevent the fuse, at the point where it is ignited, from beine' subjected to excessive pressure, as 'this will frequently causea quick burning out -of the fuse through its entire length, `and the chief desideratum is to present fsuiiicient heat to cause ignition :and yet permit :the fuse to burn in the normal or expected time. To this end I employ retaining means, preferably in the form of a `plate I, which is provided with a series of openings I through which the fuse tube can be punctured at any oint, de-

time that it is esired to delay the illuminating action. YCoperating with the retainin plate I isa shield J which is adjustable, an positionable over any one of the openings I, or the point of ignition yof the fuse. lThe retaining plate I and the shield J are held in :place ba bolt K eX- tending through the. closure D .ner surface thereof and receiving a securing nut L on its outer end. The inner portion K lis squared or of the shank of the bolt otherwise formed inl cross-section to prevent relative turning-.of the'closure D and retaining plate I, Iwhile the shield .I is free `to turn upon the retaining plate I4 about the bolt K, and is held in adjusted .that there is no opportunity for the igniting charge tobe set off until the carrier B is exaXis 4of .the position by its frictional engagement.

The inner surface of 'the shield J is pro-` vided near its outer end with a lateral passage M, lpreferably formed vby stamping the shield loutwardly at this point, 'and the pas-4 sage M extends froni one edge 4of the shield in Fig. 12.` This affords a means of communication between the ,opening I, which underlies the shield, the shield, so that as the shell is discharged from the mortar, the heat setup travels through thev lateral passages M land husreaches the fuse at .the point has been punctured and ignites it. I-n the operation of this part of the structure, the fusecontaining any direct pressure,

closure D, I provide an ex' ings P 4 .central openin from the in-v -mentum of -cessive on the' parachute and ,usiamo ltube is first punctured at the selected vpoint 1and the shield is then adjusted over such point, that is, over the selected opening I in the retaining plate, kand the shell is then placedl in the mortar to be discharged. While this arrangement permits igniting the fuse, `the shield adequately protects the punctured part of the fuse casing against and obviates the possibility of an excessive pressure gaining access to the fuse at ythis point andy causing its premature burning.

Nl designates an igniting charge which is arranged in juxtaposition to the illuminating charge C, preferably as a'base, or disk at one end, while N are projections or extensions, preferably elongated, and forming part of the igniting charge which extends v into openings in the illuminating charge. This provides a more intimate relation between the igniting and illuminating charges and insures quick ignition of the latter. O is .a disk arranged adjacent to the igniting charge N and provided with va series of open ings O.. The disk O is located in the endl of the carrier B, and P is -a second disk arranged in the jacket A adjacent to the end of the carrier B and having a series of ope coincident with the openings O. Q,-

plate positioned between the the closure D and having a Q. Positioned between the and the disk P is a quickly- R of mealed powder which is after the carrier B is ischarged from t e jacket A. In the operation of this part of the structure, the shell is initially discharged from the mortar, as already described, and after the fuse is burned for the predetermined period, the expelling charge G is ignited, causing the carrier B to be discharged from the jacket A. Immediately as this takes place, the mealed powder charge It starts to burn, setting od the igniting charge N, and this in turn ignites the illuminating charge. The corrugation F engages the spacing plate Q and thus separates the expelling charge F from the central opening Q in the spacing plate, so

is a spacin disk P an spacing plate igniting charge i nited immediatel pelled from the jacket A.

A arachute is arranged within the jacket A, W ich is designed to be unfolded by the lair resistance when it'and the illuminant. bodyhG are ejected from the jacket A. removable closure S normally maintains the parachute and illuminant yin -place. For short 'ranges the speed of the projectile is not ordinarily so great as to disrupt the parachute, but for greater ranges the mothe illuminant body is apt to be so great when it is ejected atany intermediate' point that the windl pressure becomes ex' itis apt to immediately slit or tear, thereby destroying its utility. According to the present invention, -I interpose between the parachute a shock-absorbing device which is designed to ease the strain between the parts until the inertia of the illuminant is partly or Wholly overcome. In a device of this character it is highly desirable that such shockabsorbing device shall be of the utmost simplicity and cheapnesspossible with the necessary certainty .of operation. Hence, alc- 1 cording to the preferred form- .of the invention I make use of a wire which is preferably folded or coiled into spiral form, preferably in the helical shape shown in the drawing at U. One end of this wire is attached to ,the illuminant by a disk U engaged by the housing B, and the other end is connected to the usual cords of the parachute. Such .wire may have a certain amount -of springiness or elasticity, but the chief function it performs vis that of dissipating the inertia of the illuminant, and ordinarily it is better to avoid such reactions as would come from a spring. Hence, I preferably employ a soft metal Wire' which has little or no spring action, but a certain resistance to bending, so that it requires an appropriate amount of force to straighten it. When so formed there is little vor' no tendency for the wire to again assume its coiled condition. Sudden strains upon the arachute arehence avoided, thus enabling t e illuminant to be projected when the shell is moving at" considerable velocities without, endangering the structure of the parachute.

' Arranged between the removable closure S and the carrier B are supporting members V, preferably in the form of substantially semi-circular walls, one end of which engage the end of the carrier B and the other end of which engage the removable closure S,

n movable closure S from the jacket when theparts are discharged, and protect the parachute fabric against strain or pressure.

No illuminating compounds have been developed heretofore with candle powers that were not relatively low, and I have discovered that the candle-power ycan be materially increased, without reducing the time of burning, by subjecting the compound to proper action of heat and pressure. For this purpose, I may employ barium nitrate and aluminum, with perchlorid potassium or po tassium nitrate, and abinder, either shellac or resin, although the latter is preferred as it is more economical and produces less smoke than shellac. 'This treatment gives an enormous increase in candle power, and

with a standard size shell illuminant, having a diameter of about 1%' inches, acandle power of 100,000 to 125,000 burning; for a period of thirt seconds, ispossili'e, whereas previously not inggreat'ei'than 8000 candle power couldbe=obta1ned. The time of burn- Aing"islg'overned largely `by the degree of pressure applied to the mixture, and the crosssectional area, and these factors can be rvaried as desired.4 The best results thus far obtained are based on a combination of barium nitrate, coarse aluminum, fine aluminum and resin, in proportions of 67% 16.6%, 12.4%, and 4%, respectively. This composition maybe varied as' to specific proportions within certain limitations, and the most effective treatment is by heating the composition to 100o C. It is then packed in a container, 'and rammed by hand. The composition thus,l packed is subjected to a pressure of about 1200 pounds per square inch for a period of approximatelyl three minutes, and the illuminant is then ready to the outer surface of the closure and com-Q municating with said expelling charge.

2. The combination with a jacket, of a carrier adapted to be discharged from the jacket, a closure at one end of the jacket provided with corrugations affording inte* rior and exterior recesses or pockets, a carrier expelling charge located in an interior pocket and a fuse located in an exterior pocket and communicating with said expel ling charge.

3.'The combination with a jacket, of al carrier adapted to be discharged from the jacket, and a closure at one end of the jacket having provision for housing an expelling charge on its inner surface and a fuse 'on its outer surface, one end of the fuse being in communication with said expelling charge.

4C. The combination with a jacket, of a carrier adapted to be dischargedfrom the jacket, an expelling charge positioned within the jacket, a closure containing a fuse in communication with said expelling charge, retaining means for the Vfuse, and an adjustable `shield positifuiablc the in. its point of ignition.

The combination with a oit jacket, lan expelling charge positioned wittlin the jacket, a fuse communicating with the expelling charge, a'retaining plateoverlycommunicating with a lateral passage,

ing the fuse and having openings through which theffuse is accessible, and a shield rotatively mounted on said plate and' movable to a position overy any of the aforementioned openings, the opening underlying the shield formed in the shield between itand the retaining plate. j j

7. The combination with a jacket, of a carrier adapted to be discharged from the jacket, a closure at one end of the jacket rovided with circular corrugations affording interior and exterior recesses or pockets, a carrier expelling charge located in one of the, interior pocketsand a fuselocated in one of the exterior pockets and communie-ating with the expelling charge, a retaining plate attached to and overlying the.

closure, and having openings through which the fuse is accessible, and a shield rotatively mounted on said plate and movable to a position over any of the aforementioned openings, the opening underlying the shield communicating with a lateral passage formed in the shield between itand the plate.

' 8. The combination with a jacket, of a carrier adapted to be discharged from the jacket, an illuminating charge contained in the carrier, and an igniting charge located adjacent to one end of the illuminating charge and including a plurality of projections extending into openings in the body of the illuminating charge. 9. The combination with a jacket, of a carrier adapted to be vdischarged from the jacket,.an illuminating charge contained in the carrier and an igniting charge in the forni of a disk or base located adjacent to' one end of the illuminating charge and including a plurality of elongated projections extending into openings in the body of the illuminating charge.

10. The combination with a jacket, of a carrier adapted to vbe discharged from the jacket,'an illuminating charge contained in lthe carrier,l van igniting charge disposed adjacent'- to the illuminating charge, a closure for the jacket, a spacing wall separating fi the closure from the igniting charge and vhaving an opening therein, an expelling charge located between said Wall and the closure, and an abutment which separates said expelling charge from the opening in the spacing wall yuntil after. the carrier is partially expelled. y

' 11. The combination with a jacket, of a carrier adapted to be discharged from the jacket, an illuminating charge contained in the carrier, an` igniting charge disposed adjacent to the illuminating chargefa4 closure for the jacket, a spacing wall separating the closure from the igniting charge and havin a ,central opening therein, and an expelling charge located between said wall spacing wall and separates the expelling charge lfrom said'central opening until after the.l carrier is partially expelled.

12. The combination with a jacket, of a carrier adapted to be discharged from thev mea'led powder arranged between the spac- Aing plate and the aforesaid disks.

13. The combination'with a jacket having a lfixed closure at one end, or" a carrier `7:5 and the closure, the latter having a circular 1 corrugated portion which abuts against the adapted to be discharged from the jacket,

an expelling charge positioned between said closure and the carrier, a movable closure at the opposite end lof the jacketadapted to be discharged with the carrier, a parachute vattached to the carrier and positioned betweenlit and said movable closure, and a plurality of supporting members contacting at one end with the carrier and at the other end with said movabie closure.

14. The combination with an illuminant body and a parachute, of a shock absorbing device connecting them and acting to permit the parachute to gradually respond to the inertia ofrthe illuminant body.

15. The combination with a arachute and an objectadapted to be carried by it, of a connection between them comprising a metallic coil which 'offers sufficient resistance to uncoiiing to cause a gradual response by the parachute to the inertia of said ob'- ject.

16. The combination with a jacket, `of a carrier adapted v to be discharged tnerefrom, an iiluminating` charge contained in the carrier, and a parachute connected to the carrier by an elastic metallic coil which offers suiiicient resistance to uncoiling to cause vthe parachute to respond gradually 17. In combination With a projectile, an chute, and acting to permit the parachute illuminant, a parachute, means for expeland illuminant body to be expelled from the ling the illuminant and parachute from the projectile While the latter is traveling at projectile, and a substantially non-reactive high speed, and to cause the parachute to `5 shock-absorbing member connecting the respond gradually to vthe inertia of the 15 illuminant and arachute. illuminant body.

18. The combination with a projectile, of In Witness whereof, I have hereunto an illumnant body and a parachute adapted signed my name. to be ejected from the projectile, and means j 10 connecting the illuminant body and para- AXEL @BERGMN 

